Hair dryer with collapsible hose storage means

ABSTRACT

THE DISCLOSURE HEREIN CONCERNS HAIR DRYERS AND A MEANS FOR RETAINING EXPANDABLE FLEXIBLE AIR HOSES USED WITH HAIR DRYERS IN COMPRESSED CONDITION TO PROVIDE EASY EFFICIENT STORAGE OF SUCH HOSES.

Jan. 19 1971 1-, NELSON 3,555,699

HAIR'DRYER WITH COLLAPSIBLE HOSE STORAGE MEANS Filed Feb. 10. 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nnuiumn Thomas F Nelson. WQwM S Attorney HAIR DRYER WITH COLLAPSIBLE HOSE STORAGE MEANS Filed Feb. 10. 1969 T. F. NELSON Jan. 19, -1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorheg United States Patent Ofice 3,555,699 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 3,555,699 HAIR DRYER WITH COLLAPSIBLE HOSE STORAGE MEANS Thomas F. Nelson, Straflford, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 10, 1969, Ser. No. 797,754 Int. Cl. A45d 20/00 U.S. CI. 34-97 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure herein concerns hair dryers and a means for retaining expandable flexible air hoses used with hair dryers in compressed condition to provide easy efiicient storage of such hoses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to hair dryers and more particularly to low-cost portable type hair dryers.

In the case of portable type hair dryers, it is particularly convenient for the user to be able to store all of the necessary removable components used in connection with the hair dryer within the housing or carrying case of the hair dryer. Such components normally include a foldable cap or bonnet, air hose and electric cord for plugging into a wall receptacle. By storing the components within the housing, they are readily available when the hair dryer is to be used and moreover, the hair dryer is ideally suited for travel purposes. Storage of the rair dryer components is usually in a housing compartment specially designed to accommodate the various components with a minimum of wasted space and providing easy access to the components through a door in the housing. The design of a hair dryer of this type is desirably compact, light weight and convenient for a person to use.

'In portable hair dryers, the flexible expandable and collapsible air hose used for conducting air to the hair dryer cap from the heated air producing means within the housing of the hair dryer presents a storage problem. Air hoses of this type will expand to a length of from six to ten times the length in fully compressed condition. Therefore, to minimize the amount of storage required for the hose, it is desirable that the hose be stored in its compressed condition within a storage compartment designated for this purpose. Users have experienced difficulty, however, in getting the hose compressed and keeping it in a compressed condition while placing it in the storage compartment of the hair dryer housing. This difiiculty increases as the material, such as plastic, from which the hose is made becomes less pliable and more unwieldly with age.

Because of the difiiculty in storing the air hose in its compact condition, many times the user simply stuffs the hose into the storage compartment and as a result subjects the hose to abuse which causes damage to the hose and impairs its proper functioning. Another difiiculty with storing the hose is that unless the hose is stored correctly in the small storage space provided, it interferes with opening and closing the compartment door.

By my invention there is provided a hair dryer with a hose storage compartment and a means for storing the hose that is compact, eflicient, and inexpensive. Moreover, by my hose storage means, the hose may be stored by the user more easily than heretofore and the hose will be stored in its compressed condition in the proper storage compartment location, thereby minimizing the amount of storage space needed for the hose and preventing damage to the hose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with my invention, there is provided a hair dryer carrying case or housing that contains an electric motor driven blower, and electric heating means tor'producing a flow of heated air, and a switch assembly accessible from outside the housing for manually controlling the hair dryer. In one portion of the housing is a storage compartment for storing the removable components of the hair dryer. The storage compartment will normally contain a foldable cap or bonnet used for confining the heated air to the hair of the user, an electric cord set for plugging into a wall receptacle to supply electrical energy to the hair dryer, and an expandable and collapsible flexible hose used for conducting air from the airflow producing means within the hair dryer housing to the cap during operation of the hair dryer. Access to the storage compartment is through a hinged door in the housing, which door is adapted to be retained in a closed position by any convenient latching means. An elongated relatively rigid hose retainer member, one end of which is free and the other end secured to the housing, has a central body portion with a width less than the inside diameter of the hose connecting the free end to the secured end. The retainer member is adapted to swing or bend outwardly from inside the storage compartment when the storage compartment access door is open. The free end of the retainer member carries a hose gripping means, such as a hook-shaped element that wraps over the end of the hose. At or near the securing end of the retainer memher is a hose stop means which cooperates with the hose gripping means at the free end of the retainer member to maintain the hose in a collapsed condition when the hose is placed on the retainer member. To use the hose retainer member for storing the hose, one end of the hose is passed over thefree end of the retainer member and down the central body portion until the end of the hose abuts the hose stop means, thereby preventing any further downward travel of that end of the hose. The hose is pushed further onto the retainer member thereby progressively collapsing or compressing the hose until it is fully collapsed, at which time the hose gripping means is caused to engage'the end of the hose. The hose gripping means engaging one end of the compressed hose and the hose stop means preventing movement at the other end cooperate with each other to maintain the hose in a compressed condition on the hose retainer member. -By having the distance between the hose stop means at the securing end and the gripping means at the free end about the same as the distance from one end of the hose to the other when in its fully collapsed condition, the stored hose will occupy a minimum of space within the storage compartment. To remove the hose from the retainer member, the hose is released from the gripping means and the hose stripped from the retainer member.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hair dryer with a convenient and easy to use means for storing the air hose.

It is another object of this invention to provide an easy and efficient means for storing a flexible expandable and collapsible air hose for a hair dryer which retains the hose in a collapsed condition for storage.

It is another object of this invention to provide an easy and efiicient means for storing a flexible expandable and collapsible air hose for a hair dryer within the housing of the hair dryer in a minimum of space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. '1 is a perspective view of my hair dryer showing the air hose ready for storage inside the hair dryer housing.

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevation fragmentary sectional view of the hair dryer showing the hose and hose retainer member in stored position within the hair dryer housing.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2 showing in detail how the hose retainer member maintains the hose in its fully collapsed condition for storage.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hose retainer member.

FIG. 5 is a partly broken away side elevation view of the hair dryer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIG, 1 illus trates a hair dryer and a flexible expandable and collapsible air hose in collapsed condition and in position on my hose retainer member ready for storage inside the hair dryer. The hair dryer includes a carrying case or housing inside of which is contained the usual means for producing a flow of heated air. The internal heated air flow producing mechanism forms no specific part of my invention and, therefore, will not be described in detail. However, as those skilled in the art know, it usually includes an electrical heating means for heating air, electrically operated impeller means for causing the heated air to flow, suitable control means for the heating and impeller means including a manually operated selector switch accessible from the exterior of the housing, and suitable air passages formed in the housing. The air passages include an ambient air inlet and a heated air outlet to which is attached an air hose for delivery of air from the heated air outlet to the cap placed on the head of a user for confining the heated air to the hair. The housing 10 has a generally rectangular shallow shape and has a handle 11 for carrying the hair dryer. The heated air flow producing mechanism is contained in one portion of the housing and in another portion there is provided a storage compartment 12 for the removable components of the hair dryer, such as the folding cap and electric extension cord, which components are not shown in the drawings, and the flexible expandable and collapsible air hose 13 shown on the hose retainer member 14. The access opening to the storage compartment is a door 15 hinged at its base 17 and having a latch 18 at the opposite end of the door from the base for retaining the door in a closed position.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 particularly, the flexible expandable and collapsible hose and hose retainer member are shown in detail. The door 15 of the housing 10 by means of a hinge 16 swings outwardly from the main portion of the hair dryer housing, thus affording access to the storage compartment. The door 15 has an end panel 20 and an upstanding flange 21 around the periphery of the end panel 20 which is designed to fit inside the main housing 10 when the door is closed. The hair dryer housing, including the door, is made from relatively rigid yet resilient plastic, such as polypropylene, molded to the desired shape. Any suitable material could, of course, be used. At the top of the door is a latch 18 which may be integrally formed with the door 15. By inter-engaging latch hook 23 carried by the door and latch hook 24 carried by the main portion of the housing, as shown in FIG. 2, the door may be latched in a closed position. To open the door a yieldable panel 25, to which is integrally attached latch hook 23, is depressed, as by thumb pressure, thereby disengaging latch hooks 23 and 24 and allowing the door to swing about the hinge 16 and expose the storage compartment 12. Any convenient latching mechanism may be used and this particular latch arrangement is merely illustrative of one such means that has been found quite suitable. It will be apparent that the design of the storage compartment door 15 is such that when the door is in a closed position it forms the end wall of the hair dryer housing and blends in with the entire hair dryer housing to make an attractive carrying case.

Secured to the inside of the door 15 near the base 17 is the hose retainer member 14 shown in detail in FIG.

4. The hose retainer member 14 has an elongated'central body portion 30 integrally connecting hose gripping portion 31 and securing portion 32. The securing portion 32 has a hinge 33 which in this case is molded into the polypropylene plastic from which the hose retainer is made. Polypropylene has a crystalline structure such that by means of a cold-stretching process taking place at bend line 34 during manufacture, the molecules of the plastic are oriented in such a manner that the tensile and tearing strength of the plastic material at the bend line is greatly increased. Hinges resulting from such a process are well-known in the trade and are commonly referred to as living hinges.

Shoulder 35, the upper surfaces of which are located normal to the longitudinal axis of the retainer member, are formed in the securing portion 32 of the hose retainer member at the junction of the central body portion 30 and securing portion 32. The shoulders are spaced apart a distance greater than the inside diameter of the hose 13. The purpose and function of these shoulders will be described later. The width of the central body portion 30 of the hose retainer member is more narrow than the width of the securing portion 32 and it is less than the inside diameter of the hose 13. The central body 30 has one straight side 36 and one tapered side 37 which converges toward the straight side 36 in the direction of the hose gripping portion 31. The hose gripping portion 31 has formed therein a hook-shaped element 38 which opens in the direction of the hinged portion 32 and has its terminal end 39 spaced outwardly from the straight side 36 of the central body 30. I"

The hose retainer member is fastened or secured to the base 17 of the storage compartment door 15 by inserting the lower end of the securing portion 32 into a channeled securing element 40 molded into the base 17 in close proximity to the door hinge 16. The element 40 has an interior channel formed complimentary to the securing portion 32 of the hose retainer. The lower end of the securing portion 32 is inserted into element 40 such that the hinge 33 is exposed thereby preventing element 40 from interfering with the function of the hinge. The element 40 extends across the width of end panel 20 and is perpendicular to the panel. The securing portion 32 is inserted into and retained in the channel of the securing element 40. It may be desirable to have the securing portion that engages the channel slightly curved to aid in keeping the securing portion in proper position by increased frictional engagement. It can be readily seen that with such an arrangement the hose retainer member 14 is swingable through an arc of at least about the hinge 33 between the upright storage position of the hose and hose retainer member inside the storage compartment to a horizontal position outside the compartment when the compartment door 15 is open, thus affording convenient access to the hose and hose retainer member.

The flexible expandable and collapsible air hose 13 has a hollow tubular body 41 and is normally made from helically formed spring wire covered with thin plastic, the structure of which functions like an accordion. Attached to both ends of the hose bod are rigid coupling collars 42 and 43 which facilitate connecting or coupling the ends of the hose to the outlet of the air flow producing means of the hair dryer and to the cap. The coupling collars each have a lip 44 with an outer circumferential ring 45 that releasably snaps into a complimentary female coupler member and is maintained in coupled relationship by gripping the ring 45 until forcibly removed from each other. The coupling collars are attached to the flexible expandable and collapsible hose body 41 and afford a means for grasping the hose without damaging it for insertion and removal of the coupling collars from the complimentary female coupler members of the air flow producing means outlet and cap. The particular shape of the coupling collars and manner of achieving coupling will vary and the particular configuration shown is merely illustrative of one structure found to be quite suitable.

The manner in which the preferred embodiment of my hose retainer functions is as follows. With the compartment door swung to an open or horizontal position, the hose retainer member 14 is ready to receive the air hose 13 for storage. One end of the hose carrying either coupling collar 42 or 43 is slipped over the hook-shaped hose gripping portion 31 of the hose retainer member with the body of the hose retainer passing through the hollow interior of the hose. In the case shown in the drawings, coupling collar 43 is placed on the retainer member first. As the hose is fed onto the hose retainer, the lip 44 of coupling collar 43 abuts the shoulders 35 of the hose retainer member. It will be appreciated that since the shoulders 35 are spaced from each other a distance greater than the inside diameter of the hose, the lip 44 of the coupler collar will abut the shoulders which act as a hose stop means and the hose will not be able to pass beyond the shoulders in the direction of the hinge 33. The length of the central body portion of the hose retainer member should be approximately that of the length of the fully collapsed hose so that lip 44 of coupling collar 42 will pass under the terminal end 39 of the hook-shaped element 38 by axially compressing slightly the collapsed hose. It will be appreciated that the length of the central body portion 30 will vary depending upon the length of the hose to be retained thereon in its fully collapsed condition. The hose, after it has been axially compressed to pass under the terminal end 39 of the hook, has a tendency to expand slightly in length, however, the hookshaped element 38 wraps around the lip 44 from the inside of the coupling collar 42 to the outside and retains the hose in what is referred to herein as its fully collapsed or compressed condition, between the shoulders and the hookshaped element 38 in cooperation with each other. By side 36 of the retainer member central body 30 extending between shoulder 35 and the inside of hook-shaped element 38 and being sufficiently rigid and straight sided, the collapsed air hose is kept straight, not curved, and in a stable position with respect to the retainer member. This assures that the hose is correctly positioned for storage and that it will fit into the storage space provided without abuse. To remove the hose from the hose retainer member, the hose is axially compressed slightly so that the lip 44 of coupling collar 42 clears the terminal end 39 of the hookshaped element 38 and the hose stripped from the retainer member.

FIG. 5 illustrates the arrangement of components of the hair dryer within the housing 10. The electric motor 46, blower or impeller 47, electric heating means 48, control 49 for the heating and blower means, and air passage means 50 are located at the right hand end of housing 10. The left hand end of housing 10 is provided with storage compartment 12 for the removable components of the hair dryer such as folding cap 51, electric extension cord 52, and air hose 13.

The foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and variations may be made to the structure of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hair dryer comprising a housing containing an electric motor driven blower, electric heating means, control means therefor, and a storage compartment for removable components of the hair dryer including an exexpandable and compressible flexible air hose, the improvement comprising an elongated hose retainer member secured at one end to the housing and adapted to swing into and out of the storage compartment, said retainer member having at its secured end a hose stop means and at the opposite end a hose gripping means, which stop means and gripping means cooperate with each other to maintain the hose in its fully compressed condition on the retainer member.

2. In a hair dryer as in claim 1 wherein the hose gripping means is a hook-shaped element adapted to wrap over the end of the hose.

3. In a hair dryer as in claim 1 wherein the hose retainer member has a hinge between the hose stop means and the secured end.

4. In a hair dryer as in claim 1 wherein at least a major portion of the elongated hose retainer member has a width less than the inside diameter of the hose.

5. In a hair dryer as in claim 1 wherein the housing has a hinged door permitting access to the storage compartment and said hose retainer member is secured to said door.

6. In a hair dryer comprising a housing containing an electric motor driven blower, electric heating means, control means therefor, and a storage compartment with a hinged access door, said storage compartment containing removable components of the hair dryer including an expandable and collapsible flexible air hose, the improvement comprising an elongated relatively rigid hose retainer member hingedly secured at one end to the access door for swinging into and out of the storage compartment, said retainer member having,

a central body portion connecting a securing end portion and a free end portion, said central body portion and free end portion having a width less than the inside diameter of the hose to receive the hose thereon in collapsed condition,

a hook-shaped element on said free end portion,

shoulders at the junction of the securing end portion and central body portion, said shoulders being spaced a distance greater than the inside diameter of the hose, and

a hinge between the shoulders and the secured end,

wherein said hook-shaped element and shoulders cooperate to maintain the hose in its fully collapsed condition on the retainer member for storage within the storage compartment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,261,107 7/1966 Ponczek et al. 3,330,048 7/1967 Rogers et al. 3,348,317 10/1967 Copeland. 3,3 86,184 6/1968 Ponczek.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, 1a., Primary Examiner H. B. RANEY, Assistant Examiner 

